Healthy alternatives, supplements, and the push to live healthier lifestyles have become increasingly popular. So popular that chances are good you’ve already come across a more recent and popular alternative in your social media feed: Mushroom coffee.
Mushrooms have multiple health benefits. They can be taken as supplements or a substitute for your morning cup of joe. Mushroom coffee touts itself as a healthier alternative to coffee, with various health benefits and fewer caffeine jitters. These benefits have convinced many to make the switch, helping it rise in popularity.
Yet, the question remains, is this just another trend? Or, is mushroom coffee worth considering tossing out your beloved morning cup of coffee?
What exactly is it?
When you hear that mushroom coffee is used as an alternative to coffee, you might expect that coffee would no longer be in the ingredients. However, that is only sometimes the case. Often, it contains only some mushrooms.
These mushrooms are not just thrown in and ground up to make coffee. They undergo an extraction and drying process to help extract the beneficial portions from the mushroom. Those portions are then mixed in with coffee to make the final product. Instant coffee is typically used while making mushroom coffee. [1]
What does it do?
Despite mushroom coffee not genuinely being an alternative, there are several benefits. It has less caffeine, helps reduce inflammation, contains anti-oxidants, and is packed with fibers and minerals. [1]
With all these benefits, mushrooms are increasingly valued for their medicinal properties and their dietary and supplementary benefits. Many mushrooms are also being studied and used in the oncology field for their immunomodulatory and anti-tumor actions that support traditional cancer treatments. [2]
Should you make the switch?
For those struggling with caffeine jitters or who want the benefits of mushrooms without adding them to their diet, mushroom coffee can be a great alternative to your morning cup of coffee. However, eating or adding them to your diet can yield the same results. More testing must be done before experts say that adding them to your coffee and other treatments makes a difference.
So, if you are not ready to give up your morning coffee, don’t stress. Adding mushrooms to your diet or supplements can still provide you with all the wonderful benefits.
References:
1. Cleveland Clinic. (2020, May 19). Mushroom coffee: Should You Be Drinking It? Health Essentials. Retrieved October 29, 2022, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/mushroom-coffee-should-you-be-drinking-it/
Venturella, G., Ferraro, V., Cirlincione, F., & Gargano, M. L. (2021). Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22020634
